Chapter 1

It was a dark night and the cries of owls and bats as they perched from tree to tree filled the air. The sky was void of stars and looked gloomy, like a woman in Labor.

Fear gripped the earth and the earth being referred to, was New York City.

Thunderstorms had been raging the city for two days non-stop and had killed over a hundred persons who decided to step out while it wailed.

Lucia sat still in her room, made of wood and sacks. Thoughts ran through her head as she listened to the loud rumbling sound the thunder made.

She remembered something, something so dear to her heart, the cruel manner her parents died. She remembered it like it was yesterday.

Her father was a strong werewolf, so strong that he could control people's minds just by staring at her, her mother, a witch. She was strong in her own way.

A great battle broke out and their survival rested on their shoulders. The responsibility of defending their town Crimo, which was later renamed as New York, fell on them. They fought with a fierce spirit but they were overpowered.

It was a fight of Witches, werewolves and vampires against humans. It was a fierce battle but the humans won. They had the weapons and the witches, werewolves and others had the magic, given to them by the devil.

“You need to live, Lucia! Live! Live!" Those were her mother's last words to her before she died. It's been fourteen years but it still echoed in her ears and sent chills down her spine.

Her stomach rumbled as a thick putrid smell hit her in the nose. Her pupils darted around the room in search of what produced the foul smell.

She saw it. It was her pet. Mufasa. That's its name. She was sad as he was the only companion she had but there was nothing she could do. It died of hunger.

Three days going and she had tasted nothing but water. There was work nowhere, as a result of the Thunderstorm.

She got up, muttered some incoherent words and the storm ceased. Fear gripped her as she tried to assimilate what just happened.

“Did my prayer just get answered?" She shrieked in excitement and was stepping out when a tall man walked towards her.

Her gaze fell. Hades, so he was called.

Old enough to be her father but still sleeps with her without an iota of shame. Three years counting, for a small morsel of food. He would thrust deep into her and then let himself get drowned in her Honeypot.

She hated it but had no choice.

She had to survive just like her mother told her.

He was coming again with a devilish grin. She spited him and wanted to strangle him. She could see his bulge.

The bastard.

He was sporting a bulge already and couldn't wait until he got to her.

“Hi Lucia," he said, cupping her breast with his hand. He basked in the feel it provided his palm.

“Let go of me," she warned, pushing his hand off her breast.

He refused and instead, applied more force on it.

“I said you should let go of me," she roared and pushed him away. He fell on his buttocks and his face turned red with anger.

“How dare you!" He said when he stood up, and in response, landed her two resounding slaps.

She fell on her bug-infested bed and with his index finger, he raised her dress.

“Geez! I have told you to stop wearing panties," his lips twisted into a frown as he yanked it off.

Tears trickled down her face. Hot tears. But what business does that have with him?

He fished out his penis from his stinking boxer and then positioned it at the entrance to her pussy.

She inhaled.

“No!" She yelled as his dick thrust hard into her. Yells upon yells as he continues to thrust into her.

“Oh, my goodness!” her voice echoed in the air as she jerked up. “It was a dream!"

She was glad... There was no man to assault her anymore.

It was all in the past.

She stole a glance at the clock sitting lucidly on the bedside table. Six am.

She stood up and dashed into the bathroom at an alarming speed.

She had a class by seven a.m. and couldn't afford to be late. Professor Chris. Hard, sadistic, dangerous. Those three words described him in all perfection.

He was the most dreaded lecturer in school. She remembered how a student committed suicide after Professor Chris failed him for the fourth time. He had spent extra years at the school and out of frustration, hung himself.

She was done in a jiffy and hurried out of the bathroom. Jackson would be there anytime soon and she wouldn't like to keep him waiting.

He was her best friend and the only friend she had in New York. Though she found him strange. He was a werewolf and unlike the usual fright and avoidance of them, she was calm and relaxed with him. Take ten years from now and that's when they've been friends.

Speaking of the devil, she could hear his loud greetings that heralded his coming.

He would greet every dick and Harry.

Phew!

“Lucia!" His voice rang in the sky as he giggled.

“I'm also done... I have told you on numerous occasions that you should stop shouting. I'm allergic to it," she said and was also shouting.

“See who's speaking? The queen of noise!" He chuckled, “I laugh in Spanish." Laughs hysterically.

“Well, when you are in Rome you do as the Roman does. Here, we don't shout, so you should learn to keep your voice down," she said as she wore her sneakers.

“Yes, your lordship," he said and gave a mock bow that made her laugh.

She was done in some minutes, and after locking the door to her apartment, they giggled off.

The road was filled with all manner of persons as they hurried to get to work.

Thousand of them. The hustling and bustling in New York City were second to none.

Their feet swished across the tiled road and the Blaring of horns by cars and vehicles filled the air. Monday it is.

It was no different for the forty thousand students of New York University.

Lucia and Jackson thronged along with the others, laughing as they went.

“I heard from someone that there's to be a party tonight at the Crystal Hotel," Jackson said.

“Oh, okay. Would you be going?” Lucia asked, kicking up Peebles as she strode.

“Of course, there is work there and you know, the pay is really good!"

“Really?" Her ears expanded upon hearing that.

“Yes. About fifty dollars per hour!” he said with a smile.

“Fifty dollars," she shrieked in excitement, “And how many hours are we going to work?

“Six hours.

“Six hours? That would be three hundred dollars by the time we are done!"

“Yes, you are right!” the bus was approaching.

“Wait! Are you sure, this isn't a scam? Because I'm finding it hard to believe this. Three hundred dollars? Are you kidding me? For a whole month of working my ass out at the shop, I get only a thousand dollars, and then a four hours work would fetch me almost a third of that?”

“yes! And you know, this party is organized by rich people... Three hundred dollars is nothing to them.”

“That's true!" Lucia concurred as they fought their way into the bus.

Lucia found it hard to believe what Jackson told her but she planned on doing it anyway. Whichever way it goes.

The school was bustling with activities as almost forty thousand students found their way to their various lecture venues.

No one dared miss the first day of a new semester, not even a Minister's son. it was an age-long tradition of the university that all students be present on the first day of school. About twenty persons lost their admission the last semester because they didn't attend the first day.

“Come on the first day and do whatever you like with yourself for the rest of the semester, we do not care," the vice Chancellor would always say.

Mathematics.

That was the first subject those in year three had. Almost ten thousand persons could be accommodated in the large hall.

Lucia peeped into the Hall and heaved a sigh of relief when she didn't see Professor Chris in there.

She was waiting for Jackson who was greeting a friend. He hurried down to where she was, and they were about to walk in when a guy from nowhere blocked them.

“Long time no see Jackson!" The guy greeted.

“What do you want?" Jackson asked, shivering like a cock that got drenched in the rain.

“Come on, you know you shouldn't be speaking to me in that manner," the guy said with a sarcastic laugh and then without warning landed Jackson a punch in the face. He fell to the ground. Lucia ran to him.

“Are you alright?" She asked as she helped him to his feet. She turned to the bully, “Why did you do that to him? Are you nuts?" She asked with her fist clenched.

He made to land her a punch when the mega speaker In the hall came to life.

“All year three students are dismissed. The lecture will commence tomorrow."

The hall erupted in happiness at that news. It tickled their bellies and without a few minutes, the hall containing almost ten thousand persons became empty as they dashed out through the doors and windows.

Lucia and Jackson were no different. They left, but instead of returning to their homes, they went to work.

The duo left work as early as six o'clock in the evening as the agent had told Jackson that it would be on a first come first serve basis. They got to the venue and were lucky to be among the first five persons to arrive.

“We would be needing twelve persons only, so after you then seven others," the caterer said with authority... Lucia was glad that they decided to leave the coffee shop at the time they did, lest they wouldn't have gotten the spot.

By the time the twelve persons were around, the caterer ordered the back door to be shut. She gave them a list of everyone who would be attending the event.

Two hundred in all. They were all people with affluence. But one caught Lucia's fancy. She had the name on various occasions and had seen him on TV.

‘Roberto Avanti’ That was his name.

He was a handsome, sexy, and tanned-skinned man but had one fault. Arrogance. He was arrogant to a fault. She wouldn't blame him. He was the son of Lydia Avanti, the richest billionaire in the United States.

Her affluence spread through the whole earth and it trembled when her name was mentioned.

“I would like you to be coordinated, full of respect, and do whatever they ask you to even if it isn't convenient for you,” the caterer said, disrupting Lucia's thought.

The last words the caterer said rang in her ears. “Even if it isn't convenient for you.” She raised her hand to speak.

“I don't understand your last sentence ma!"

“Whatever they ask you to do is what should be done. Now, you may proceed to your station. The party would be starting soon," her voice boomed into the ears of the twelve persons as they were handed a branded cloth.

Lucia was placed in the VIP section and she shrieked, knowing fully well that Roberto would be in that area.

Exactly five minutes later, the guests started arriving and were directed to their seats. Lucia did what was expected of her. She smiled as she directed the VIPs to their seat. She was directing one of them when she by mistake, bumped into someone.

“Can't you watch your path?" She asked in annoyance as she beheld the assailant.

“I should be asking you that question!" He responded with a devilish grin. It was Roberto Avanti.

“I can see you lack conversational ethics," she said and in response, he held her head and planted a kiss on her lips, leaving her breathless. She was stunned and when she realized where she was, she forced him away from her and gave him a resounding slap that made his cheek hurt.